Picosa presents Americana, a concert of chamber music infused with jazz, romanticism and contemparary style

Oct 25, 2017 12:26PM

Oak Brook, IL - Picosa’s
Americana program weaves together the works of five composers for an exciting
journey through American musical style of the 20th and 21st century
on Tuesday, December 5th at 7:00pm at
Mayslake Peabody Estate, 1717 W. 31st Street, Oak
Brook.
Music lovers will enjoy experiencing Picosa’s signature symphonic
sound and welcoming community at every program of virtuosic
chamber music. General Admission tickets for the concert and dessert
reception are $25 with discounts available for seniors and students.
Picosa is a 501(c)(3) not for profit organization. To purchase tickets,
visit: www.PicosaMusic.com

Picosa will highlight beloved
American composers in the second concert of their season.
Listeners will hear jazz influences throughout the pieces on this program and
the ways each composer mixes complex rhythms and entertaining turns of phrase
into their music. The concert will open and close with works by Augusta Read Thomas and Marc
Mellits. Both are Chicago based composers, and their works
make frequent appearances at Picosa’s
performances. In February 2015, music critic Edward Reichel wrote,

“Augusta Read Thomas
has secured for herself a permanent place in the pantheon of American composers
of the 20th and 21st centuries. She is without question one of the best and
most important composers that this country has today. Her music has substance
and depth and a sense of purpose. She has a lot to say and she knows how to say
it — and say it in a way that is intelligent yet appealing and sophisticated.”

Picosa will perform Scat for flute,
clarinet, violin, cello and piano. Inspired by the vocal jazz
technique, “scatting,” Thomas
compellingly writes rhythms that explode off the page with lively energy.

Amy Beach,
one of America’s first notable female
composers wrote her Piano Trio, Op. 150 late in her life.
It showcases beautiful and lyrical piano lines. Beach was a musical
prodigy, and Arthur Elon noted in his essay from 1903, Woman’s Work in Music,
that Beach was “gifted with absolute
pitch and an extraordinary musical memory. She was able to reproduce accurately
an entire Beethoven sonata without ever having seen the score, after hearing
one of her fellow students practise it.”

Peter
Schickele,
also known as P.D.Q. Bach, deftly combines romantic and jazz styles in his Quartet for clarinet, violin, cello, and piano.
He draws inspiration from be-bop in the second movement and creates a whirring
soundscape of musical motives.

Paul Schoenfield’s music is accessible
and beloved by listeners, and his Sonatina for flute,
clarinet, and piano is no exception. He directly quotes early
American jazz and folk in the titles of each of the movements, Charleston, Rag,
and Jig.

Marc Mellits’ work,
Spam for flute, clarinet, violin, cello, and piano will quickly get
listener’s into a minimalist “groove.” Mellits
cleverly combines repetitive motives in a way that beautifully explores
combinations of instrument pairings and musical timbres.

Finally, we
are particularly excited to welcome visual artist Lewis
Achenbach who will be live painting the entire event. His works of
art will be available for sale after the concert. Following this concert,
audience members are invited to stay for the Meet the Musicians Gourmet
Dessert Reception to chat with all the performers and enjoy
some treats.

Tickets are $25. High school
students and younger are free, and accompanying parents receive a discounted
ticket of $10. College student $10. Seniors $23. Please visit www.PicosaMusic.com to purchase tickets and for information about locations
and parking.

Picosa is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit
organization. Donations to the ensemble support Picosa operations
including its commitment to bring music to underserved communities through
their collaboration with Hesed House and nurturing rising amateur and young
musicians through their Interludes Chamber Ensembles program. Please visit www.PicosaMusic.com/donate.